Continue on a journey to connect more animals with the care they need! In this second installment on our global access to care work, discover how direct grants keep pets and families together during crisis in Ukraine, veterinary students work hand-in-hand with rural communities in Chile and “sterithons” manage animal populations near Cape Town, South Africa.
Kobus Tollig/Kobus Tollig Photography
South Africa
Home to an estimated 4 million homeless dogs and cats, South Africa sees over half a million enter animal shelters annually. Many never leave. The issue of homeless companion animals is not only a pressing animal welfare crisis but also a significant public health concern, as rabies remains a persistent threat, primarily transmitted through dog bites.
To address these challenges, Humane World for Animals South Africa launched the Healthy Pets, Healthier Community program in 2022, focusing on the underserved small towns of Struisbaai North and Bredasdorp East in Cape Agulhas, near Cape Town. The program, in partnership with local organizations including Luv4Pets and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League Bredasdorp, takes a holistic approach, offering “sterithons” (high-volume sterilization events) to manage animal population control, and regular primary animal health clinics. The monthly events provide essential veterinary services such as vaccinations, deworming and flea and tick treatments, improving both animal welfare and public health.
Kobus Tollig/Kobus Tollig Photography
Since the inception of the program, over 2,000 dogs and cats have been sterilized and vaccinated, significantly reducing the stray animal population and improving their overall well-being.
Kerri-Lee Giliomee, a director at AACL Bredasdorp and current volunteer with the Healthy Pets, Healthier Community program, has been instrumental in ensuring the program’s success and improving the lives of countless animals in Cape Agulhas. Reflecting on her work, Giliomee shares, “The impact of this program is incredible. We are helping thousands of animals in need and educating owners on responsible pet care.”
Thanks to the combined efforts of Humane World for Animals South Africa, Luv4Pets, AACL Bredasdorp and passionate advocates like Giliomee, Humane World for Animals South Africa is making strides to address the country’s companion animal crisis in Cape Agulhas. These initiatives not only alleviate the suffering of companion animals but also foster healthier, more compassionate communities.
—Leozette Roode
Claudio Ramirez/Humane World for Animals
Chile
In December 2024, the veterinary team for Humane World for Animals Chile arrived in Pichicuy, a remote town plagued by drought, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Santiago. Here, a man named Fernando lives with his 14 dogs and 13 cats, all of whom he rescued from the streets. The animals suffered from malnutrition, injuries and, in most cases, were not spayed or neutered due to lack of access to veterinary care.
The team, which performs welfare checks, vaccinations and sterilization surgeries, was contacted by Alison Andrade, a veterinary student at the University of Chile. Andrade reached out to help secure medical attention for the animals.
By the end of 2024
animals were attended to by the veterinary team
vaccinations were administered against rabies
spay/neuter surgeries were performed
“People like Alison are our connection with vulnerable communities, where animals play a key role in people’s lives,” says Daniela Benavides Sanchez, director of Humane World for Animals Chile. “Beyond companionship, these animals support work, provide protection and serve as emotional comfort for those marginalized by society, as is the case with Fernando.”
Since 2011, the Humane World Chile team, along with external veterinarians, has been helping pets as part of their companion animal program. In 2023, they began to form their own veterinary team—the first such team for Humane World in Latin America—which today consists of seven people.
Magdalena Hernandez/Humane World for Animals
“When people like Alison contact us, we visit the community and gather information such as the number of animals, their location and access to veterinary services,” says Magdalena Hernández, program manager for Humane World for Animals Chile. With this data, the team organizes operations to provide medical care for the animals, inform the community about their work and coordinate future interventions.
The team coordinates their efforts with local organizations. One example: At the University of Chile’s El Roble Veterinary Center, they work in tandem with the Family Health Center from La Pintana to provide medical attention to patients' pets.
“In all of my years of work, I’ve never participated in a program like this, where the focus is not just on the number of animals treated, but on the stories behind each case—on the people who are unable to care for their pets,” says Dr. Sebastián Mercado, a vet for Humane World for Animals Chile. “The satisfaction is endless.”
—María Fernanda Espinoza and Nataly Espinoza Ávila
Save The Dogs
Ukraine
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine, marking the start of the current conflict. As of January 2025, 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Europe and 4 million people have been internally displaced in Ukraine.
“As the conflict in Ukraine persists, both people and animals are enduring unimaginable hardships side by side. Pets are family, and in such dire circumstances they provide comfort and a sense of normality,” says Ruud Tombrock, executive director of Humane World for Animals Europe.
Ukrainian Red Cross
Humane World Europe was among the first animal welfare organizations to respond to the crisis. The priorities are to keep animals alive and safe, provide access to veterinary care when needed and ensure pets and their owners remain united. To do so, they support like-minded organizations inside Ukraine with direct grants. In neighboring countries, team members also work on the ground alongside partners.
Humane World Europe has set up a joint National Pet Care Program with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. It is a large-scale operation in 100 towns across 16 regions. It provides pet food and supplies—litter boxes, flea/tick medication, pet carriers—to people who have been displaced.
This program works wonders in keeping pets and owners together and has been extended until the end of 2025.
—Helen Lucas
Care in a time of conflict
As the war evolves and conditions change, Humane World for Animals Europe has adapted its response, helping 315,249 animals from February 2022 through November 2024.
- 2022 Coordinate aid to Ukrainian refugees entering Europe with their pets, including setting up Vets for Ukrainian Pets, providing free veterinary care to pets from Ukraine in 38 European countries
- 2023 Participate in emergency response to save hundreds of animals after the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson in southern Ukraine
- 2024-2025 Continue working with Ukrainian Red Cross Society to be here for animals, without fail
